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Libya’s internationally-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) declared a ceasefire on May 14 following intense overnight clashes between rival militias in the capital, Tripoli.
The fighting in Tripoli broke out earlier in the week after the assassination of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as “Gheniwa”, the head of the powerful Stability Support Authority (SSA) that is backed by the Presidential Council. The SSA reportedly operated prisons and held influence over ministries and financial institutions in the capital.
Gheniwa was killed on May 14 inside a base controlled by the 444th Brigade, led by Mahmoud Hamza, a militia leader aligned with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibah. Syrian mercenaries, who were brought to Libya in 2020 by Turkey, were reportedly involved in the assassination. His death triggered a wave of retaliatory clashes, leaving at least six dead on the first day, according to security sources.
The first round of clashes came to a halt on May 13, with Dbeibah declaring a military operation had dismantled “irregular” militias. However, the fighting resumed early on May 14, with the Libyan Red Crescent reporting the death of at least one person.
“Regular forces, in coordination with the relevant security authorities, have begun taking the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units,” the GNU’s Defense Ministry said in a statement after the announcement of the ceasefire.
The ministry added that the neutral units it was deploying around sensitive sites in Tripoli were from the police force, which does not carry heavy weapons.
Libya plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that overthrew and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western governments, though major military operations paused with a ceasefire in 2020.
A major energy exporter, Libya is also an important way station for migrants heading to Europe. The conflict there has drawn in foreign powers including Turkey, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
While eastern Libya with its de-facto capital, Benghazi, has been dominated for a decade by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army, control in Tripoli and western Libya has been splintered among numerous militia groups with the GNU in the center.
The initial clashes in Tripoli earlier this week, which saw the defeat of the SSA, appeared to consolidate the power of Dbeibah, who is an ally of Turkey. However, the second round was mainly between the 444th Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force, also known as Rada, the last militia group in the capital not in alliance with the GNU.
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the victories for the hegemon keep on rolling in